Lent 1 | The Far Side of the Wilderness
“Then you will call and the Lord will answer. You will cry for help and God will say, ‘I’M HERE.’”
“Moses led the flock he was tending to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush...Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight -- why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that Moses had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” Exodus 3:1-4
On the far side of the wilderness -- that out of the way, untamed place, Moses slows down; tends his flock in quiet. The ideal place, really, for God to capture his attention. Alone with his sheep, Moses can’t help but notice the steadily burning bush. As the curious man draws closer, God calls him by name: “Moses! Moses!” In this intimate meeting, God touches Moses at his heart.
During this time of Lent, you are invited to travel to the far side of the wilderness, a place where nothing much is happening. In those moments away from the everyday chatter, manifestations of God’s strange blazing beauty wait for you. God just may call you by name in hopes of your simple response: “Here I am.”